Compared to the first one, this one is a massive dissapointment because the world while trying to expand and add new concepts, it doesnt explain them in a good way and over complicates them, while also not having a story as strong as the first film. But, the movie can still be seen, its entertaining and has really good action scenes which are the things that keep you watching it. So, despite not being as good as the first one, its still entertaining.
2,468 Reviews
Can not follow up on the first part
Toph-2214 May 2021
'Matrix Reloaded' wants too much and wants to go one better on everything. What was the non plus ultra in the first part is now playschool. Agent Smith becomes an entire army, one guard becomes a quarter of a million.
The same goes for the special effects. I don't need to see something in slow motion every 5 minutes just to make it look cool. Quantity instead of quality seems to be the motto here. Used purposefully, this is definitely a suitable stylistic device. Unfortunately, it is used randomly.
Basically, the movie digresses into inanities, especially in the early stages. I'm thinking of this several-minute rave in Zion, for example. The movie wants to give insights into the everyday life of people living in reality. This is basically the logical next step, but unfortunately 'Matrix Reloaded' doesn't manage to relate to the people at any time. Everything seems sterile and unapproachable.
In the first part, fight sequences were used quite purposefully. Every fight had its meaning. Here, I have the feeling that the fights are pure show interludes.
'Matrix' didn't just stand out because of the action, but also brought a philosophical approach into play. Unfortunately, this approach is almost completely thrown overboard in the sequel. That's a shame, because it's a feature that can set it apart from the normal action genre.
The point that really bothers me the most is the transformation of Neo into a kind of Superman. He can do anything and seems almost invincible. I generally find these types of characters difficult, because it's hard to identify with them.
Finally, one plus point of the movie. The scenes on the freeway were really good. I would have liked to see this kind of staging for the rest of the movie as well.
In summary, 'Matrix Reloaded' falls far short of following in the big footsteps of its predecessor. More should have been made of the strengths and special features of the first part.
The same goes for the special effects. I don't need to see something in slow motion every 5 minutes just to make it look cool. Quantity instead of quality seems to be the motto here. Used purposefully, this is definitely a suitable stylistic device. Unfortunately, it is used randomly.
Basically, the movie digresses into inanities, especially in the early stages. I'm thinking of this several-minute rave in Zion, for example. The movie wants to give insights into the everyday life of people living in reality. This is basically the logical next step, but unfortunately 'Matrix Reloaded' doesn't manage to relate to the people at any time. Everything seems sterile and unapproachable.
In the first part, fight sequences were used quite purposefully. Every fight had its meaning. Here, I have the feeling that the fights are pure show interludes.
'Matrix' didn't just stand out because of the action, but also brought a philosophical approach into play. Unfortunately, this approach is almost completely thrown overboard in the sequel. That's a shame, because it's a feature that can set it apart from the normal action genre.
The point that really bothers me the most is the transformation of Neo into a kind of Superman. He can do anything and seems almost invincible. I generally find these types of characters difficult, because it's hard to identify with them.
Finally, one plus point of the movie. The scenes on the freeway were really good. I would have liked to see this kind of staging for the rest of the movie as well.
In summary, 'Matrix Reloaded' falls far short of following in the big footsteps of its predecessor. More should have been made of the strengths and special features of the first part.
The only thing this film lacks is the element of surprise!
MinorityReporter4 January 2006
The Matrix Reloaded has everything you could possibly want from a summer blockbuster but it like its predecessor has a heck of a lot more and while Reloaded is not as good as the first Matrix film it sure is close to the standard of the original. I don't understand the seeming reluctance to accept this film a suitable continuation of the original film. I'll be the first one to admit that Reloaded has a few slow points and that the story line has a tendency towards the pretentious but the film is also highly intelligent and entertaining but most importantly the film gets the story from A to B with adequate and in some cases remarkable character development.
Acting wise the film is in the same kind of league as the first film of the series with a few mediocre performances, a few decent performances and one or two excellent performances. Keanu Reeves plays Neo pretty much like he did in the first movie and that is not bad. His monotone voice is canceled out by his clear and well defined body language. His overall performance is very fitting for the character which, lets face it, is somewhat square and Keanu's acting fits that kind of character very well. Carrie-Anne Moss has taken a small step down. I don't blame her as much as I blame the writing. Her character, while still ass-kicking, is too dependent on Neo. I know they love each other but come on. Laurence Fishbourne shines as Morpheus. His performance is slightly more stylized than in the first film but he steals almost every scene he is in. Other semi-known actors make glorified cameos. Actors like Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci and Lambert Wilson are great examples. Gloria Foster returns as the Oracle in her (sadly) last performance as she died during the filming. Her one brief scene is both highly interesting and well acted. As it was with the first film Hugo Weaving provides the best acting by far. Although his screen time is somewhat limited he manages to leave a lasting impression and becomes one of my favorite screen baddies of all time. His performance is for lack of a better word fantastic.
Effect wise Reloaded is a feast. There is literally something to look at in every scene. The "real" world has been given a face lift to make it more interesting. The real effects, however, take place inside the matrix and just like in the first film the effects are absolutely ground breaking. Rivaling the likes of Star Wars and LotR and that is saying something. The people who think the story is pretentious and the dialog stubby will undoubtedly get their adrenaline fix in the action scenes. Some scenes had me holding my breath and gasping at how beautiful and overwhelming it all was and as much as I love the philosophical aspects of the film I can watch it for the effects themselves as well. Without spoiling anything I can say that lovers of cool fight scenes and fx are in for a hell of a treat with this one.
In terms of costumes the film has really grown into its own. Especially Neo's costume in The Matrix is very cool and is a great improvement over the previous film. Morpheus' and Trinity's costumes are the same with minor changes and they still look cool. Agent Smith's costume has changed slightly in the color scheme. His suit has become a bit darker as if to signify that he is no longer an Agent of the system but a rogue agent now. Also his sunglasses have changed so that they look more rounded so they look more like Neo's sunglasses which of course implicates their connection. Many of the secondary characters have their own costumes as well mirroring their own personalities.
Were the film separated itself from other action packed films is of course in the underlying philosophical and religious aspects. Once the film has been watched a few times for the effects you can begin to see some of the elements. I don't think its possible to fully translate and analyze every element of the film. Mainly because every element can be analyzed in a bunch of different ways. Without spoiling too much I can say that if you look hard enough you will be able to find Plato, Baudrillard, Gnosticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christian elements and some more. The people who tell matrix lovers to get a life for searching the Matrix for a deeper meaning ought to open their eyes and watch the film one more time. With that I'm not saying that you can't be intelligent if you don't like the Matrix I am simply asking you to give it another chance. You really won't regret it.
The Matrix Reloaded is an excellent film and it deserves a lot more respect than it is getting and it is definitely underrated. I don't expect people to agree but I do expect people to respect those who love the Matrix sequels like me. I for one think that its hard to go wrong with Reloaded as it is funny, moving, awe-inspiring and very intelligent. I highly recommend this film to anyone.
9/10
Acting wise the film is in the same kind of league as the first film of the series with a few mediocre performances, a few decent performances and one or two excellent performances. Keanu Reeves plays Neo pretty much like he did in the first movie and that is not bad. His monotone voice is canceled out by his clear and well defined body language. His overall performance is very fitting for the character which, lets face it, is somewhat square and Keanu's acting fits that kind of character very well. Carrie-Anne Moss has taken a small step down. I don't blame her as much as I blame the writing. Her character, while still ass-kicking, is too dependent on Neo. I know they love each other but come on. Laurence Fishbourne shines as Morpheus. His performance is slightly more stylized than in the first film but he steals almost every scene he is in. Other semi-known actors make glorified cameos. Actors like Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci and Lambert Wilson are great examples. Gloria Foster returns as the Oracle in her (sadly) last performance as she died during the filming. Her one brief scene is both highly interesting and well acted. As it was with the first film Hugo Weaving provides the best acting by far. Although his screen time is somewhat limited he manages to leave a lasting impression and becomes one of my favorite screen baddies of all time. His performance is for lack of a better word fantastic.
Effect wise Reloaded is a feast. There is literally something to look at in every scene. The "real" world has been given a face lift to make it more interesting. The real effects, however, take place inside the matrix and just like in the first film the effects are absolutely ground breaking. Rivaling the likes of Star Wars and LotR and that is saying something. The people who think the story is pretentious and the dialog stubby will undoubtedly get their adrenaline fix in the action scenes. Some scenes had me holding my breath and gasping at how beautiful and overwhelming it all was and as much as I love the philosophical aspects of the film I can watch it for the effects themselves as well. Without spoiling anything I can say that lovers of cool fight scenes and fx are in for a hell of a treat with this one.
In terms of costumes the film has really grown into its own. Especially Neo's costume in The Matrix is very cool and is a great improvement over the previous film. Morpheus' and Trinity's costumes are the same with minor changes and they still look cool. Agent Smith's costume has changed slightly in the color scheme. His suit has become a bit darker as if to signify that he is no longer an Agent of the system but a rogue agent now. Also his sunglasses have changed so that they look more rounded so they look more like Neo's sunglasses which of course implicates their connection. Many of the secondary characters have their own costumes as well mirroring their own personalities.
Were the film separated itself from other action packed films is of course in the underlying philosophical and religious aspects. Once the film has been watched a few times for the effects you can begin to see some of the elements. I don't think its possible to fully translate and analyze every element of the film. Mainly because every element can be analyzed in a bunch of different ways. Without spoiling too much I can say that if you look hard enough you will be able to find Plato, Baudrillard, Gnosticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christian elements and some more. The people who tell matrix lovers to get a life for searching the Matrix for a deeper meaning ought to open their eyes and watch the film one more time. With that I'm not saying that you can't be intelligent if you don't like the Matrix I am simply asking you to give it another chance. You really won't regret it.
The Matrix Reloaded is an excellent film and it deserves a lot more respect than it is getting and it is definitely underrated. I don't expect people to agree but I do expect people to respect those who love the Matrix sequels like me. I for one think that its hard to go wrong with Reloaded as it is funny, moving, awe-inspiring and very intelligent. I highly recommend this film to anyone.
9/10
The Matrix Reloaded: Visually stunning, utterly confusing!
Dillypogo19 August 2008
"What's going on?" "Man, that was cool." "Jesus, I need a dictionary." These three things went through my mind while I watched The Matrix Reloaded. Keanu Reeves returns as Neo, who goes to the city of Zion along with Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss.) As approaching sentinels get closer and closer to the city, an old enemy (Hugo Weaving) pops up again, determined to destroy Neo. As if that weren't enough, Neo has a dream about Trinity dying and he wonders if it will come true.
The premier problem with The Matrix Reloaded is that it's incredibly confusing. For the majority of the film I couldn't understand what was going on or who new characters were. For example, Lambert Wilson plays a French character called Merovingian and after four viewings of the film, I still don't know what purpose his character serves.
There is a scene near the end of the film in which you will definitely need a dictionary beside you. People who have seen the film will know that I am talking about the scene with The Architect, (Helmut Bakaitis) who has the widest vocabulary in the universe. I understand that it works for his all-knowing character, but what I don't understand is....well, what the bloody hell he's going on about. An example of a sentence he says is "you are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision." What?
The saviour of The Matrix Reloaded are it's jaw-droppingly brilliant action sequences. Amazingly choreographed and with top-notch special effects, they are what The Matrix trilogy is famous for. I have to say that The Matrix Reloaded definitely has the best action sequences out of the three films and two of my favourite movie scenes are actually from this. My personal favourite scene is when Neo battles an army of Agent Smiths for about eight minutes. Rob Dougan's music during these action sequences also add to the suspense.
Like any sequel, The Matrix Reloaded will always be compared to its predecessor, which is not good for TMR. The first film was more intelligent and intriguing, but the action sequences in the sequel were slightly better.
With a confusing plot, The Matrix Reloaded disappoints, but the action sequences are top-notch. I give it 6/10.
The premier problem with The Matrix Reloaded is that it's incredibly confusing. For the majority of the film I couldn't understand what was going on or who new characters were. For example, Lambert Wilson plays a French character called Merovingian and after four viewings of the film, I still don't know what purpose his character serves.
There is a scene near the end of the film in which you will definitely need a dictionary beside you. People who have seen the film will know that I am talking about the scene with The Architect, (Helmut Bakaitis) who has the widest vocabulary in the universe. I understand that it works for his all-knowing character, but what I don't understand is....well, what the bloody hell he's going on about. An example of a sentence he says is "you are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision." What?
The saviour of The Matrix Reloaded are it's jaw-droppingly brilliant action sequences. Amazingly choreographed and with top-notch special effects, they are what The Matrix trilogy is famous for. I have to say that The Matrix Reloaded definitely has the best action sequences out of the three films and two of my favourite movie scenes are actually from this. My personal favourite scene is when Neo battles an army of Agent Smiths for about eight minutes. Rob Dougan's music during these action sequences also add to the suspense.
Like any sequel, The Matrix Reloaded will always be compared to its predecessor, which is not good for TMR. The first film was more intelligent and intriguing, but the action sequences in the sequel were slightly better.
With a confusing plot, The Matrix Reloaded disappoints, but the action sequences are top-notch. I give it 6/10.
Perhaps overloaded, but definitely groundbreaking
jazzzjasper26 February 2004
Watching The Matrix Reloaded, one is absolutely entitled to say that it is overloaded, too lengthy action sequences for instance, and indeed, a way too lengthy dancing scene in Zion. But next to that, it is obvious that this sequal to The Matrix (1999)takes the story to a whole new dimension. Different characters define the working of the matrix, and the meaning of life itself, in different ways, depending on their onthological background. A conclusion is not (yet) given, which adds to the movie a kind of postmodern quality. For as far as the action sequences are concerned: Groundbreaking. You'll see stuff that you've never seen before. Sometimes the scenes are a little lengthy, which harmes the narrative, but that is compensated easily by the visual spectacle. And yes, the Architect at the end is difficult to understand, but when you watch the film more than once, you'll find out that it does make sense what he says. All together this movie may not be as fantastic as 'The Matrix', but it is definitely a good movie that will keep you thinking for a while.
Some good action. That's it.
Dar Star8 October 2020
The plot is a mess. Don't even try to understand it. But there are some great action scenes that start after the introduction of the gorgeous Monica Belluci. Keanu's fight scene at the Merovingians place is the highlight with great music and choreography. It makes his subsequent casting in John Wick an obvious choice.
We Gorge on the Binaries Prophesied...
Xstal23 August 2020
We gorge on the binaries prophesied once again, through an ever increasing bandwidth, as we exponentially widen our dietary desire to become what everyone wants us to be without thought for who or what we really are or could be. Getting a bit too close to the man from Nazareth for my liking - bring on the Crucifixion.
Hmph.. Upgrades
tmans7135 January 2022
The 2nd movie in the Matrix franchise follows Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus as they continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. The Wachowski's are once again able to craft incredibly memorable moments on top of an intriguing story. The CGI struggles to keep up during the infamous "Rubber Neo" fight scene, but overall this sequel is a blast to watch!
Trapped in the curse of Sequels!
Dr_Sagan5 October 2014
The creators of The Matrix Trilogy had repeatedly state that this was conceived as a "Trilogy" from the start. Although I haven't a reason to doubt that, the 2nd (and 3rd) Matrix fall in the tradition that many sequels of good movies suffer from.
Despite the fact that practically the same cast and crew who created the magnificent first part is here for the 2 & 3 (they shot it back-to-back) the movie quickly loses its spirit.
First mistake is the introduction of many many new secondary characters who might not necessarily needed. And these characters are trying really hard to pose as important without that being the case at all.
Second mistake is the forced philosophy that didn't actually had anything to add to that of the original. The attempt for a recreation of the perfectly scripted dialog between Neo and the Oracle in the original is a failed one. For some, including me, it even destroys the feeling of the original dialog by diminishing its great themes.
Third mistake the (experimental) visual effects this time look completely fake. There is a big fight, shot with something that is described as virtual cinematography, and it's more than obvious that...well..it needs lots of work to be believable.
In conclusion when you are trying for bigger and better there is no guaranty that you will succeed. A common thing in movie sequels. A curse, that struck the second (and the third) sequels of the Matrix.
Despite the fact that practically the same cast and crew who created the magnificent first part is here for the 2 & 3 (they shot it back-to-back) the movie quickly loses its spirit.
First mistake is the introduction of many many new secondary characters who might not necessarily needed. And these characters are trying really hard to pose as important without that being the case at all.
Second mistake is the forced philosophy that didn't actually had anything to add to that of the original. The attempt for a recreation of the perfectly scripted dialog between Neo and the Oracle in the original is a failed one. For some, including me, it even destroys the feeling of the original dialog by diminishing its great themes.
Third mistake the (experimental) visual effects this time look completely fake. There is a big fight, shot with something that is described as virtual cinematography, and it's more than obvious that...well..it needs lots of work to be believable.
In conclusion when you are trying for bigger and better there is no guaranty that you will succeed. A common thing in movie sequels. A curse, that struck the second (and the third) sequels of the Matrix.
Downfall
akdjreview21 December 2021
After watching Matrix Reloaded I can say I was nothing short of disappointed. The first Matrix film is a cinematic masterpiece and one of my favourite films. But Reloaded fails to live up to that significantly.
There is no story, plot or even good acting. The incredibly bad story of Reloaded fails at even having a complete story. Reloaded consists of fight scene after fight scene missing that heart of the first one. There's also basically no plot and you will most likely not even make out what's going on. And even the acting takes such a downfall it is laughable.
The movie is also poorly made from a cinematography perspective. With massive amounts of fight scenes, you would think that you could tell what's going on at least. But you really don't, a shaky camera and bodies flying everywhere it makes it incredibly hard to tell.
I was extremely disappointed with Matrix Reloaded but I still recommend you watch it if you enjoyed the first one. It follows the same dark gritty narrative that the first one created but fails at living up to it.
There is no story, plot or even good acting. The incredibly bad story of Reloaded fails at even having a complete story. Reloaded consists of fight scene after fight scene missing that heart of the first one. There's also basically no plot and you will most likely not even make out what's going on. And even the acting takes such a downfall it is laughable.
The movie is also poorly made from a cinematography perspective. With massive amounts of fight scenes, you would think that you could tell what's going on at least. But you really don't, a shaky camera and bodies flying everywhere it makes it incredibly hard to tell.
I was extremely disappointed with Matrix Reloaded but I still recommend you watch it if you enjoyed the first one. It follows the same dark gritty narrative that the first one created but fails at living up to it.
Much better the second time around
Med-Jasta12 December 2019
I did not like this very much the first watch. But after watching Revolutions, which I thought was much better, I gave this another chance. The first time you are of course wondering where the story is taking you and it ends up being basically no where. Then Revolutions does go there.
Because Reloaded is a second movie, it's the first half of the second movie. With that knowledge this first act becomes much better. Sure the action scenes go on a little too long, while they are very cool, but the second time when you aren't wondering about the plot you can enjoy them a little more.
Maybe it would have be easier if they called this movie part one.
My only problem with this movie is that it's uneven. There is over an hour of laying down plot line after plot line. Then action scenes that are very long and lose their significance to the story about half way through.
Now all of the dialogue and action scenes are very good but there should have been a little bit of break up to make it easier on us and even it out. The last third corrects this problem though.
Very good after a second viewing. The two movies are structured like one movie. It's really like watching The Empire Strikes Back, pausing it after Darth Vader shows up at cloud City and waiting 6 months to finish the movie.
Please give it another chance and you will enjoy.
Because Reloaded is a second movie, it's the first half of the second movie. With that knowledge this first act becomes much better. Sure the action scenes go on a little too long, while they are very cool, but the second time when you aren't wondering about the plot you can enjoy them a little more.
Maybe it would have be easier if they called this movie part one.
My only problem with this movie is that it's uneven. There is over an hour of laying down plot line after plot line. Then action scenes that are very long and lose their significance to the story about half way through.
Now all of the dialogue and action scenes are very good but there should have been a little bit of break up to make it easier on us and even it out. The last third corrects this problem though.
Very good after a second viewing. The two movies are structured like one movie. It's really like watching The Empire Strikes Back, pausing it after Darth Vader shows up at cloud City and waiting 6 months to finish the movie.
Please give it another chance and you will enjoy.
Here is what I think about "The Matrix Reloaded":
dee.reid6 December 2003
"Commander Lock: 'Not everyone believes what you believe.'
Morpheus: 'My beliefs do not require that they do.'
My thoughts:
Nothing sums up the hype surrounding "The Matrix" trilogy better than the above quote from Roger Ebert. Like him, I believe that much of the hype surrounding "The Matrix" and its sequels is nothing more than shallow philosophy mixed with allegorical and metaphorical strains of the Bible, among various other religious texts and two guys love of comic books. Do I believe any of it? Absolutely not, and I honestly hope that the people who seem to watch these movies religiously do not believe any of the things they say about it either.
It's been four years since the first "Matrix" film wowed audiences back in 1999 with its special effects and mind-bending story. It has since been followed by a frighteningly devoted fan base, countless books and various interpretations of the plot line. I don't view the "Matrix" movies as anything more than a "Christ" parable and a very shallow one at that. The movie has its influences deeply rooted in Christianity (the most obvious), as well as Japanese comic books (Manga), Anime ("Ghost in the Shell" and "Akira" come first to mind), Hong Kong action flicks, and countless other sources that have been rolled into one hell of an action film.
And also like Ebert, I make these statements with amusement, not criticism, mixed with a little bit of bewilderment. You see, like most movie-going people, I was put into awe by the special effects and story. I loved the first film and it's a classic, believe me. The first "Matrix" film is an obvious achievement in special effects and a landmark in science-fiction,
but unfortunately its sequels aren't bringing anything new to me and (obviously) to others, which brings me to "The Matrix Reloaded."
The cons:
The biggest problem I have with "Reloaded" is that it many times tries to be deep and meaningful but fails miserably most of the time. The fight scenes aren't really worth any particular mention (the only exception being the "88 Smiths" and the much-talked about 14-minute "Freeway" chase) either. Many of them only seem to be in this movie to eat up time and don't have any significance to the story.
That, to me seemed to be the biggest fault with "Reloaded." In "The Matrix," the big lobby scene in which Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) get into a huge shootout with a S.W.A.T. team, signaled the start of a glorious rebellion within the system but not only that, kept your eyes glued to the screen for the rest of the movie, all the way up to when the credits start to roll and Rage Against the Machine plays on the soundtrack.
The fights in "Reloaded" are too repetitive and seem to take forever to be over. Also, the romance in this film seemed to be way too tacked on to be believable. I wanted to see Neo and Trinity become a couple but I have to say that they have no chemistry on screen whatsoever. Their love scene is intercut with a huge mosh pit scene about 30 minutes in after Morpheus gives this huge inspirational speech and everybody goes nuts.
Any plusses? Well yeah, that's why I gave it a six out of ten. I have to say, that while the fight scenes seem to be a bit on the excessive side, they're extremely well executed. The cinematography is beautiful, giving "Reloaded" a unique and eerie look. The "flying" scenes with Neo are very well done too.
To sum up:
"The Matrix Reloaded" was at best, failed potential but it shows what happens when you try to put too much into one movie.
P.S: If I want a science-fiction movie with real philosophy (emphasis on "real"), I'll go and watch "Blade Runner," "The Terminator," or "Ghost in the Shell," the latter film was a key (read: obvious) influence of the "Matrix" films.
6/10
Morpheus: 'My beliefs do not require that they do.'
- Characters are always talking like this in 'The Matrix Reloaded,' which plays like a collaboration involving a geek, a comic book and the smartest kid in Philosophy 101. Morpheus in particular unreels extended speeches that remind me of Laurence Olivier's remarks when he won his honorary Oscar--the speech that had Jon Voight going 'God!' on TV, but in print turned out to be quasi-Shakespearean doublespeak. The speeches provide not meaning, but the effect of meaning: It sure sounds like those guys are saying some profound things.
- That will not prevent fanboys from analyzing the philosophy of 'The Matrix Reloaded' in endless Web postings. Part of the fun is becoming an expert in the deep meaning of shallow pop mythology; there is something refreshingly ironic about becoming an authority on the transient extrusions of mass culture, and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) now joins Obi-Wan Kenobi as the Plato of our age."
My thoughts:
Nothing sums up the hype surrounding "The Matrix" trilogy better than the above quote from Roger Ebert. Like him, I believe that much of the hype surrounding "The Matrix" and its sequels is nothing more than shallow philosophy mixed with allegorical and metaphorical strains of the Bible, among various other religious texts and two guys love of comic books. Do I believe any of it? Absolutely not, and I honestly hope that the people who seem to watch these movies religiously do not believe any of the things they say about it either.
It's been four years since the first "Matrix" film wowed audiences back in 1999 with its special effects and mind-bending story. It has since been followed by a frighteningly devoted fan base, countless books and various interpretations of the plot line. I don't view the "Matrix" movies as anything more than a "Christ" parable and a very shallow one at that. The movie has its influences deeply rooted in Christianity (the most obvious), as well as Japanese comic books (Manga), Anime ("Ghost in the Shell" and "Akira" come first to mind), Hong Kong action flicks, and countless other sources that have been rolled into one hell of an action film.
And also like Ebert, I make these statements with amusement, not criticism, mixed with a little bit of bewilderment. You see, like most movie-going people, I was put into awe by the special effects and story. I loved the first film and it's a classic, believe me. The first "Matrix" film is an obvious achievement in special effects and a landmark in science-fiction,
but unfortunately its sequels aren't bringing anything new to me and (obviously) to others, which brings me to "The Matrix Reloaded."
The cons:
The biggest problem I have with "Reloaded" is that it many times tries to be deep and meaningful but fails miserably most of the time. The fight scenes aren't really worth any particular mention (the only exception being the "88 Smiths" and the much-talked about 14-minute "Freeway" chase) either. Many of them only seem to be in this movie to eat up time and don't have any significance to the story.
That, to me seemed to be the biggest fault with "Reloaded." In "The Matrix," the big lobby scene in which Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) get into a huge shootout with a S.W.A.T. team, signaled the start of a glorious rebellion within the system but not only that, kept your eyes glued to the screen for the rest of the movie, all the way up to when the credits start to roll and Rage Against the Machine plays on the soundtrack.
The fights in "Reloaded" are too repetitive and seem to take forever to be over. Also, the romance in this film seemed to be way too tacked on to be believable. I wanted to see Neo and Trinity become a couple but I have to say that they have no chemistry on screen whatsoever. Their love scene is intercut with a huge mosh pit scene about 30 minutes in after Morpheus gives this huge inspirational speech and everybody goes nuts.
Any plusses? Well yeah, that's why I gave it a six out of ten. I have to say, that while the fight scenes seem to be a bit on the excessive side, they're extremely well executed. The cinematography is beautiful, giving "Reloaded" a unique and eerie look. The "flying" scenes with Neo are very well done too.
To sum up:
"The Matrix Reloaded" was at best, failed potential but it shows what happens when you try to put too much into one movie.
P.S: If I want a science-fiction movie with real philosophy (emphasis on "real"), I'll go and watch "Blade Runner," "The Terminator," or "Ghost in the Shell," the latter film was a key (read: obvious) influence of the "Matrix" films.
6/10
FANTASTIC!
MENDIETA_4027 June 2003
When the credits for the movie came up and yet another great song by Rage Against The Machine blaring in my ears, I just thought to myself, what a great piece of entertainment this movie was.
I was a big fan of the first one (like other millions were) and was eagerly awaiting the sequel. Although it might not be as good as the first one in terms of it shocking us the way it did in 99 when it brought to us such a new flavour in cinema in terms of development in action, special effects and its terrific story. All and all it still held up very well considering the pressure this movie had on its shoulders to live up to the great expectation.
I think that's why a lot of people weren't real keen on this one, because it had such huge pressure, and whatever the Wachowski's produced, it wasn't going to be good enough, or people would say it could or should of been better. I believe the Wachowski brothers made it more epic and like most sequels, you can tell that it had a s*** load more money to work with. Apart from the Zion scene and the Twins not getting enough screen time, this movie was right up there, and for a movie just to sit back in awe and watch all these fighting sequences, car chases and special effects in action, it's a special movie.
Well done Larry and Andy showing everyone just why we go to the movies, Pure escapism and entertainment.
I was a big fan of the first one (like other millions were) and was eagerly awaiting the sequel. Although it might not be as good as the first one in terms of it shocking us the way it did in 99 when it brought to us such a new flavour in cinema in terms of development in action, special effects and its terrific story. All and all it still held up very well considering the pressure this movie had on its shoulders to live up to the great expectation.
I think that's why a lot of people weren't real keen on this one, because it had such huge pressure, and whatever the Wachowski's produced, it wasn't going to be good enough, or people would say it could or should of been better. I believe the Wachowski brothers made it more epic and like most sequels, you can tell that it had a s*** load more money to work with. Apart from the Zion scene and the Twins not getting enough screen time, this movie was right up there, and for a movie just to sit back in awe and watch all these fighting sequences, car chases and special effects in action, it's a special movie.
Well done Larry and Andy showing everyone just why we go to the movies, Pure escapism and entertainment.
Overwhelming and spectacular second part with some of the best action scenes ever made
ma-cortes25 December 2011
This exciting sequel is full of thrills , cutting-edge visuals, stylist innovations , fights , tension , suspense and groundbreaking races , but also several commercial elements , including computer-simulated violence . This is a dynamic, fast-paced and amusing movie , though overlong . It's an enjoyable , if somewhat light-headed piece of escapism with state-of-art special effects and straightforward screenplay . Big-budgeted film by the great producer Joel Silver led to break into the booming Sci-Fi/adventure/fantasy market plenty of inventiveness and imagination . Full of action, it's complemented by rousing scenes , breathtaking flights and struggles are spotlights . It deals with Neo (Keanu Reeves) ¨who is thought to be the chosen one¨ and the rebel leaders estimate that they have 72 hours until 250,000 probes discover Zion and destroy it and its inhabitants. During this, Neo has to decide how he can save Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) from a dark fate in his dreams and he must find Merovingian (Lambert Wilson who is accompanied by a gorgeous Monica Bellucci). It is a dark time for the world in this second adventure. The epic war between man and machine reaches a thundering crescendo : the Zion military, aided by courageous civilian volunteers and led by councillor Hamann (Anthony Zerbe) desperately battle to hold back the marauding Sentinel invasion from overtaking the last human fortress . Neo, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity race against time and are advised by the Oracle (Gloria Foster) to encounter the Keymaker (Randall Kim) who would help them reach the Source. While the human city of Zion is preparing for the oncoming war with the machines with very little chances of survival. The city , the last outpost of humanity , is defended by valiant warriors (Harry Lennix, Gina Torres , Nora Gaye) against the massive invasion of the machines to save the humanity as Neo fights to end the war at another front while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
This is an action-packed, booming following with some of the best vehicles scenes ever filmed , including awesome visual effects by John Gaeta. This thrilling movie contains impressive fights , chills , breathtaking designs , dense philosophy and many other things . From the beginning to the end the comic-book action-packed and extreme violence is continued and it's fast movement ; for that reason the picture is pretty amusing ; furthermore contains lots of car crashes on a California freeway and spectacular combats in mart arts style staged by Yue Woo Ping who also made ¨Kill Bill¨ and ¨Crouching tiger, hidden dragon¨ . Contrived beyond belief with spectacular races that play like video games , but slickly calculated to please 2000s audiences . Moving and pulsing musical score by Don Davis . Magnificent , glamorous production design by Owen Paterson . Colorful and imaginative cinematography by Bill Pope . The motion picture is stunningly written , produced and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski-The Wachowski Brothers- .
The following to this futuristic saga results to be ¨Matrix Revolutions¨ in which takes place the final battle between machines and humans ; it holds similar artistic and technician team . And being preceded by the classic ¨Matrix¨ in which Neo aware the world he is living in is an illusion maintained by machines that have taken over earth .
This is an action-packed, booming following with some of the best vehicles scenes ever filmed , including awesome visual effects by John Gaeta. This thrilling movie contains impressive fights , chills , breathtaking designs , dense philosophy and many other things . From the beginning to the end the comic-book action-packed and extreme violence is continued and it's fast movement ; for that reason the picture is pretty amusing ; furthermore contains lots of car crashes on a California freeway and spectacular combats in mart arts style staged by Yue Woo Ping who also made ¨Kill Bill¨ and ¨Crouching tiger, hidden dragon¨ . Contrived beyond belief with spectacular races that play like video games , but slickly calculated to please 2000s audiences . Moving and pulsing musical score by Don Davis . Magnificent , glamorous production design by Owen Paterson . Colorful and imaginative cinematography by Bill Pope . The motion picture is stunningly written , produced and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski-The Wachowski Brothers- .
The following to this futuristic saga results to be ¨Matrix Revolutions¨ in which takes place the final battle between machines and humans ; it holds similar artistic and technician team . And being preceded by the classic ¨Matrix¨ in which Neo aware the world he is living in is an illusion maintained by machines that have taken over earth .
Huge fall from the original
Top_Dawg_Critic24 December 2021
The writing lacked much depth as most of it was filler with very little substance, a huge difference from the amazing story throughout the first film. There were too many melodramatics and too many and too long unnecessary fight scenes and visual effects. Sounds weird I'm complaining about the abundance of things I like, but without a solid story, they become less impressive and more of an annoyance. Let's hope the continuation is better. Sadly it's a 7/10 from me.
Upgrades!
Anonymous_Maxine2 August 2003
The thing that really strikes me about The Matrix Reloaded is that the increase in quality, if it can be said that there actually is one, from the first movie is more the result of an increased budget than anything else. I loved the new movie, but the talent was there in the first one, you can just tell that in the sequel the Wachowski brothers had a virtually endless budget, which allowed them to do pretty much anything they wanted. They have a very distinct style that is clearly evident in all of their movies, even if they are not laden with special effects. The fluidity of the camera movement and the strangely dark tones of their films are only a couple of the techniques that make them recognizable. These things really come to the surface if you watch the Matrix films, some of the most recognizable films ever made, and then watch an earlier one of their movies, like the trashy 1996 thriller, Bound.
That being said, I think it's safe to say that, despite the massive and seemingly unsurpassable genius of the first Matrix film, the Wachowski brothers have made another step up from their last film. It should be noted that the film is the second part in a trilogy, especially before groaning out loud at the sudden ending of the film, which built up and built up and built up and then just stopped, just like the fist Lord of the Rings film did. I won't take time here to go into what the story is about and how it continues the story from the first film, if only because plot summary in film reviews is a total waste of time for the writer as well as the reader, and also because I've only seen the movie twice, which really isn't enough to get a total grasp on the depth of the plots, so I'll just suffice it here to say that the startling complexity of the original Matrix (a complexity which is almost unheard of in a science fiction film) is added onto and expanded in this film, although despite being hard to follow, is never confusing.
I've heard all kinds of talk about the Italian Job having an even better car chase than The Matrix Reloaded and how the chase in this film wasn't even that good at all, blah blah blah. There is a freeway chase scene in this film which recklessly promotes reckless driving (and, even worse, reckless riding), but it is one of the most impressively made and fascinating car chase scenes that I've ever seen. It also contains the characteristic style of the Wachowski brothers, and is famously filmed on a freeway that was constructed strictly for the filming of this scene. I can't remember where, Australia, I think. Anyway, Morpheus and one of the agents are having a kung-fu fight on top of a semi trailer (which the driver never seems to notice), the poor keymaker in struggling to stay out of the way, Trinity is flying between cars against traffic on one of the most badass motorcycles on the road (enter the Ducati commercial), and Morpheus is off doing, as they say, `his superman thing.'
The superman thing is one of the elements of the movie that bordered on being campy, as the multitude of Agent Smiths comment to themselves, `He's still only human.' And then in the next scene he's flying. This is one of the points where you really need to keep in mind that Neo's body is plugged into a machine, in the strikingly less appealing real world, and is basically playing a video game where he'll die in real life if killed in the game because his body will think that it has been killed for real and will shut down.
During the freeway scene, there's a camera shot where the camera literally goes right through the chassis' of a couple of semi trucks as it follows Trinity, which I think got the biggest reaction from an audience in a single scene that I've seen since that Velociraptor jumped up at the ceiling in Jurassic Park. One of the other most memorable scenes is the lengthy fight scene between Neo and the hordes of Agent Smiths, one of the most entertaining fight scenes I've ever seen. It's obvious that the vast majority of this scene is special effects (and not only because there are hundreds of the same guy in it), but it is so well made and convincing and even amusing that the entertainment value of it is massive.
The new villains, by the way, are some of the best new villains since the Reapers in Blade II. I've heard something about an albino interest group that's trying to sue for the way albino's are portrayed in this movie because of these guys, although I can't exactly agree that they're even albinos. These guys are so weird looking they're barely human. If the albino interest groups are trying to sue, why didn't they sue when Me, Myself, and Irene was released? Anyway, these guys have the interesting skill of becoming transparent and therefore untouchable, with the small condition that they are also unable to attack when in this defensive mode, which makes for some great fight scenes as well as some cool tricks, like that of hopping into rapidly approaching Escalades (oh, there are lots of Cadillac commercials here, too). I heard recently that Cadillac is trying to aim for a younger audience than the much older people who tend to drive their cars, and if there were ever any doubts that the rumors are true, they are completely dispelled by their heavy placement in this movie.
There are certainly some scenes in this movie where it drags and seems to even border on being unnecessarily philosophical and confusing, such as in the extensive meeting with the Oracle, who tells Neo all about choices that he has made but doesn't know he's made yet, or needs to make even though fate has already determined what decision he would make, or something of that nature, where after a while we find ourselves (or at least I did) paying more attention to the pigeons walking around in this startlingly different atmosphere than to the deep conversation that they're having. Maybe this is why it takes me more than two viewings to get the complete story of movies like this. Blasted pigeons.
There is a lot of controversy over the quality of The Matrix Reloaded, which is to be expected, since it is a movie that has garnered such a vast amount of attention, even if only because it is the follow-up to such a massively successful film. But like Terminator 3, I personally was hugely impressed with this sequel, and am more than able to accept it as a bridge between the original and the final film in the series. It is the better part of three hours long, but goes by much faster than anticipated because it is so well made and entertaining. Never mind that totally campy scenes, like the bullet removal scene and the dance club scene, because like so many other sequels these days (and unlike so many others), The Matrix Reloaded will leave you eager to see the next one.
That being said, I think it's safe to say that, despite the massive and seemingly unsurpassable genius of the first Matrix film, the Wachowski brothers have made another step up from their last film. It should be noted that the film is the second part in a trilogy, especially before groaning out loud at the sudden ending of the film, which built up and built up and built up and then just stopped, just like the fist Lord of the Rings film did. I won't take time here to go into what the story is about and how it continues the story from the first film, if only because plot summary in film reviews is a total waste of time for the writer as well as the reader, and also because I've only seen the movie twice, which really isn't enough to get a total grasp on the depth of the plots, so I'll just suffice it here to say that the startling complexity of the original Matrix (a complexity which is almost unheard of in a science fiction film) is added onto and expanded in this film, although despite being hard to follow, is never confusing.
I've heard all kinds of talk about the Italian Job having an even better car chase than The Matrix Reloaded and how the chase in this film wasn't even that good at all, blah blah blah. There is a freeway chase scene in this film which recklessly promotes reckless driving (and, even worse, reckless riding), but it is one of the most impressively made and fascinating car chase scenes that I've ever seen. It also contains the characteristic style of the Wachowski brothers, and is famously filmed on a freeway that was constructed strictly for the filming of this scene. I can't remember where, Australia, I think. Anyway, Morpheus and one of the agents are having a kung-fu fight on top of a semi trailer (which the driver never seems to notice), the poor keymaker in struggling to stay out of the way, Trinity is flying between cars against traffic on one of the most badass motorcycles on the road (enter the Ducati commercial), and Morpheus is off doing, as they say, `his superman thing.'
The superman thing is one of the elements of the movie that bordered on being campy, as the multitude of Agent Smiths comment to themselves, `He's still only human.' And then in the next scene he's flying. This is one of the points where you really need to keep in mind that Neo's body is plugged into a machine, in the strikingly less appealing real world, and is basically playing a video game where he'll die in real life if killed in the game because his body will think that it has been killed for real and will shut down.
During the freeway scene, there's a camera shot where the camera literally goes right through the chassis' of a couple of semi trucks as it follows Trinity, which I think got the biggest reaction from an audience in a single scene that I've seen since that Velociraptor jumped up at the ceiling in Jurassic Park. One of the other most memorable scenes is the lengthy fight scene between Neo and the hordes of Agent Smiths, one of the most entertaining fight scenes I've ever seen. It's obvious that the vast majority of this scene is special effects (and not only because there are hundreds of the same guy in it), but it is so well made and convincing and even amusing that the entertainment value of it is massive.
The new villains, by the way, are some of the best new villains since the Reapers in Blade II. I've heard something about an albino interest group that's trying to sue for the way albino's are portrayed in this movie because of these guys, although I can't exactly agree that they're even albinos. These guys are so weird looking they're barely human. If the albino interest groups are trying to sue, why didn't they sue when Me, Myself, and Irene was released? Anyway, these guys have the interesting skill of becoming transparent and therefore untouchable, with the small condition that they are also unable to attack when in this defensive mode, which makes for some great fight scenes as well as some cool tricks, like that of hopping into rapidly approaching Escalades (oh, there are lots of Cadillac commercials here, too). I heard recently that Cadillac is trying to aim for a younger audience than the much older people who tend to drive their cars, and if there were ever any doubts that the rumors are true, they are completely dispelled by their heavy placement in this movie.
There are certainly some scenes in this movie where it drags and seems to even border on being unnecessarily philosophical and confusing, such as in the extensive meeting with the Oracle, who tells Neo all about choices that he has made but doesn't know he's made yet, or needs to make even though fate has already determined what decision he would make, or something of that nature, where after a while we find ourselves (or at least I did) paying more attention to the pigeons walking around in this startlingly different atmosphere than to the deep conversation that they're having. Maybe this is why it takes me more than two viewings to get the complete story of movies like this. Blasted pigeons.
There is a lot of controversy over the quality of The Matrix Reloaded, which is to be expected, since it is a movie that has garnered such a vast amount of attention, even if only because it is the follow-up to such a massively successful film. But like Terminator 3, I personally was hugely impressed with this sequel, and am more than able to accept it as a bridge between the original and the final film in the series. It is the better part of three hours long, but goes by much faster than anticipated because it is so well made and entertaining. Never mind that totally campy scenes, like the bullet removal scene and the dance club scene, because like so many other sequels these days (and unlike so many others), The Matrix Reloaded will leave you eager to see the next one.
Confusing
danielmanson5 February 2021
I'm writing this review more so for my own collection rather than anything. And this film has one and one thing wrong with it. And that it's too god damn confusing.
I have never watched any of the Matrix films before so this is all a new experience to me. I sat down and really focused and watched every single second that was offered. And I still don't understand it. In fact I lie, I understand maybe 50% of it. Like there are scenes and characters that just don't offer anything to the plot, but are there to confuse and nothing more. There's some guy that speaks French, he's in for about 10 mins and that's it. What's his purpose other than to add 10 mins to the film and confuse me a bit more? I really really wish I understood it more and I could admire it. But I can't. Maybe this is a film you have to see 3/4 times to get it, I don't know, but from first viewing it's hard to get.
The action scenes are phenomenal. 17 years later and these scenes still hold up more than enough today. I was in genuine awe at some of the action and the fighting that was displayed. It was honestly amazing. The film is worth watching for this alone.
But yeah, I enjoyed my time watching this. Just dead confusing.
I have never watched any of the Matrix films before so this is all a new experience to me. I sat down and really focused and watched every single second that was offered. And I still don't understand it. In fact I lie, I understand maybe 50% of it. Like there are scenes and characters that just don't offer anything to the plot, but are there to confuse and nothing more. There's some guy that speaks French, he's in for about 10 mins and that's it. What's his purpose other than to add 10 mins to the film and confuse me a bit more? I really really wish I understood it more and I could admire it. But I can't. Maybe this is a film you have to see 3/4 times to get it, I don't know, but from first viewing it's hard to get.
The action scenes are phenomenal. 17 years later and these scenes still hold up more than enough today. I was in genuine awe at some of the action and the fighting that was displayed. It was honestly amazing. The film is worth watching for this alone.
But yeah, I enjoyed my time watching this. Just dead confusing.
Terrible... just terrible.
spencerjg4 September 2019
The Matrix Reloaded: a desperate cash grab that is 90% filler and 10% plot.
So much of this movie is absolutely pointless and quite painful to watch:
Firstly, that speech by Morpheus, then the painful dancing and sex scene between trinity and Neo. That was way too drawn out and just unnecessary. We get it, they are dancing, and Neo and Trinity are making love, get on with it.
Second, the whole scene with Neo and the Counselor. They have a lengthy conversation seemingly about nothing. What relevance did that have to anything? We were introduced to so many characters in Zion only to have them mean absolutely nothing in the end.
Oh, and while we are on the topic of Zion... how did they manage to make such an advanced city underground? Did they have time to drag billions and billions of dollars worth of equipment down with them while the machines were on their tails, eager to kill them?
Third: all of the action. It didn't add anything to the plot. Neo spends 15 minutes fighting all of the Smiths when he could have just flown away immediately after he realized it was a swarm.
The fight between that random programmer in order to get to the oracle...
Neo's Jackie Chan-esque fight scene on those stairs.
The 20 minute chase scene with trinity, Morpheus, and the keymaker... don't even get me started on that.
And how about those ghostly dreadlock twins...
All of those scenes seemed to just fill the time as the real storyline: the looming destruction of humanity was sprinkled in.
3/10
So much of this movie is absolutely pointless and quite painful to watch:
Firstly, that speech by Morpheus, then the painful dancing and sex scene between trinity and Neo. That was way too drawn out and just unnecessary. We get it, they are dancing, and Neo and Trinity are making love, get on with it.
Second, the whole scene with Neo and the Counselor. They have a lengthy conversation seemingly about nothing. What relevance did that have to anything? We were introduced to so many characters in Zion only to have them mean absolutely nothing in the end.
Oh, and while we are on the topic of Zion... how did they manage to make such an advanced city underground? Did they have time to drag billions and billions of dollars worth of equipment down with them while the machines were on their tails, eager to kill them?
Third: all of the action. It didn't add anything to the plot. Neo spends 15 minutes fighting all of the Smiths when he could have just flown away immediately after he realized it was a swarm.
The fight between that random programmer in order to get to the oracle...
Neo's Jackie Chan-esque fight scene on those stairs.
The 20 minute chase scene with trinity, Morpheus, and the keymaker... don't even get me started on that.
And how about those ghostly dreadlock twins...
All of those scenes seemed to just fill the time as the real storyline: the looming destruction of humanity was sprinkled in.
3/10
Great film. Make sure you watch all 3
0U23 February 2020
They went for some stuff, half of them didn't land, still a decent movie
carlos37andre22 November 2020
I've seen the first Matrix for the first time back in 2017, and I loved it, I loved the world they've built, the characters, I understood the dilemmas, what was at risk, and at the end... I wanted to see more, I felt like they had just scratched the surface. But here I am, three years later, seing Matrix Reloaded for the first time. I can't lie, all the talk of people saying "the last two suck" and stuff, sort of made me not wanted to rush to see the other two. Idk, if that was good or not, but it was definitely a factor, and for sure made me watch this one with other eyes. Take that as you want.
I have no idea why all that introduction, but well, I don't think the movie sucks necessarily, but is definitely not the "more" I ended the first movie wanting to see. Some few points here, it's definitely hard to evaluate something that did so much to the revolution of technology in film, and almost created a genre of its own, but oddly enough, this one for sure didn't aged as well as the first one. Mainly the full CGI scenes, where they change it up the actors for the full digital models of themselves, well... you can notice clearly, and at times can take you out of the movie a bit. It's that same old problem of, a first movie that had a smaller budget, and in the sequel with more movie they just went for it, and well... screwed the in-camera fight scenes (still there are a lot of them tho) But then again, that doesn't make the movie that much worst or better, imo, is just dated, and it prevents the film from having fully amazing sequences from start to finish.
But idk, I like some of the new stuff they added, like the human city, I don't know if I quit understood the whole paradox of the chosen one thing fully... nevertheless, I liked it lol. But well, the movie is just weird at times, there are entire sequences I feel don't add to much at all, like the whole party in the city, in slow motion with people naked... idk, it just felt like adding to not much at all. Some of the fight sequences are great (like the one with the French guy crew), but others... are probably "too great" if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them, but some of the fight scenes, like the first one with the bunch of Smiths, seemed like they go for sooo long, that at one point it doesn't feel like there is something in play here, it's just a dance of sorts, between Neo's CGI doll, and the dozen of Smiths (they even use bowling sound effects at some point).
And well, I can't truly judge the movie that much cause... it doesn't have an ending! (At least back then they released it in the same year, which is still an insane thing to think about nowadays).
To sum up, Matrix Reloaded, isn't as good at the first one for sure, and, sadly I didn't think it built the world as much as I wanted. I still love the concept, I love almost everything about Neo's power in the Matrix (the ones that aren't fully CGI dolls), but some scenes seemed to led to nothing at all, and they probably overdid with some fight sequences. Also, I have to give them credit, the car chase scene is awesome.
I have no idea why all that introduction, but well, I don't think the movie sucks necessarily, but is definitely not the "more" I ended the first movie wanting to see. Some few points here, it's definitely hard to evaluate something that did so much to the revolution of technology in film, and almost created a genre of its own, but oddly enough, this one for sure didn't aged as well as the first one. Mainly the full CGI scenes, where they change it up the actors for the full digital models of themselves, well... you can notice clearly, and at times can take you out of the movie a bit. It's that same old problem of, a first movie that had a smaller budget, and in the sequel with more movie they just went for it, and well... screwed the in-camera fight scenes (still there are a lot of them tho) But then again, that doesn't make the movie that much worst or better, imo, is just dated, and it prevents the film from having fully amazing sequences from start to finish.
But idk, I like some of the new stuff they added, like the human city, I don't know if I quit understood the whole paradox of the chosen one thing fully... nevertheless, I liked it lol. But well, the movie is just weird at times, there are entire sequences I feel don't add to much at all, like the whole party in the city, in slow motion with people naked... idk, it just felt like adding to not much at all. Some of the fight sequences are great (like the one with the French guy crew), but others... are probably "too great" if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them, but some of the fight scenes, like the first one with the bunch of Smiths, seemed like they go for sooo long, that at one point it doesn't feel like there is something in play here, it's just a dance of sorts, between Neo's CGI doll, and the dozen of Smiths (they even use bowling sound effects at some point).
And well, I can't truly judge the movie that much cause... it doesn't have an ending! (At least back then they released it in the same year, which is still an insane thing to think about nowadays).
To sum up, Matrix Reloaded, isn't as good at the first one for sure, and, sadly I didn't think it built the world as much as I wanted. I still love the concept, I love almost everything about Neo's power in the Matrix (the ones that aren't fully CGI dolls), but some scenes seemed to led to nothing at all, and they probably overdid with some fight sequences. Also, I have to give them credit, the car chase scene is awesome.
Outstanding Movie!
filmandpassion9 February 2024
Upon my initial viewing, I didn't find much to like about this film. However, after watching "Revolutions," which I found to be a significant improvement, I decided to give this one another shot. The first time around, I found myself wondering where the story was headed, only to feel like it led nowhere. "Revolutions," on the other hand, does take you there.
Understanding that "Reloaded" is essentially the first half of a larger story, my perspective on its first act shifted. With this knowledge, the initial portion of the film becomes more engaging. Although the action scenes tend to drag on a bit too long, they are undeniably impressive, and upon revisiting the film, I found myself able to appreciate them more without the distraction of wondering about the plot.
Perhaps it would have been clearer if they had labeled this movie as Part One.
My main issue with the film lies in its uneven pacing. There's over an hour of exposition, followed by lengthy action sequences that lose their relevance to the plot halfway through. While both the dialogue and action scenes are well-executed, a bit more variety in pacing would have made the viewing experience smoother and more balanced. Fortunately, the final third of the film addresses this issue.
Upon rewatching, I found "Reloaded" to be much more enjoyable. When viewed together, the two films form a cohesive narrative structure, akin to watching "The Empire Strikes Back" and pausing it after Darth Vader's arrival at Cloud City, only to resume six months later.
I encourage you to give it another chance. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Understanding that "Reloaded" is essentially the first half of a larger story, my perspective on its first act shifted. With this knowledge, the initial portion of the film becomes more engaging. Although the action scenes tend to drag on a bit too long, they are undeniably impressive, and upon revisiting the film, I found myself able to appreciate them more without the distraction of wondering about the plot.
Perhaps it would have been clearer if they had labeled this movie as Part One.
My main issue with the film lies in its uneven pacing. There's over an hour of exposition, followed by lengthy action sequences that lose their relevance to the plot halfway through. While both the dialogue and action scenes are well-executed, a bit more variety in pacing would have made the viewing experience smoother and more balanced. Fortunately, the final third of the film addresses this issue.
Upon rewatching, I found "Reloaded" to be much more enjoyable. When viewed together, the two films form a cohesive narrative structure, akin to watching "The Empire Strikes Back" and pausing it after Darth Vader's arrival at Cloud City, only to resume six months later.
I encourage you to give it another chance. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
A Second Part that Improves the Whole
RedSoxFan27 June 2003
Being a casual fan of the original The Matrix, I was looking forward to seeing The Matrix:Reloaded in the theaters. However, I was not quite ready to line up at the door donned in a Neo costume for a midnight showing on opening day. Having seen Reloaded, I can now say that I may be one of those people (sans the Neo costume) when The Matrix:Revolutions is released this winter. I cannot say that I think that Reloaded was as good as the original. Yes, it contained more action. Yes, the special effects were better. Yes, both the plot and the dialogue were more intricate and at times more head scratching. But Reloaded lacks what its predecessor had, the element of complete surprise. The wool has already been removed from our eyes. We know what the Matrix is. I cannot think of any plot twist that will be able to match what happens when Neo swallows the Red Pill. All that being said, after seeing Reloaded, I now appreciate the story as a whole. The Matrix and The Matrix:Reloaded when viewed as one complete story far surpasses viewing each as it's own single entity. While the original had mildly peaked my interest, I am now fully enthralled by the entire mythology of The Matrix (I highly recommend viewing the back stories available online on the Animatrix). Much like The Lord of the Rings series, I can no longer imagine The Matrix without contemplating Reloaded. As for Reloaded as a movie itself, the fight scenes are amazingly choreographed, though sometimes a little excessive. I would recommend the movie for the fight with the multiple Agent Smiths alone, as it is a phenomenally staged battle. My criticism lies mostly in the editing. This is a movie that could have definitely been shorter. Many scenes were unnecessarily long, such as the dance orgy after Morpheus' speech, or flat out unnecessary, such as Neo's fight with Seraph. But beyond the flashy fight scenes and special effects, its strength lies in the most unlikely (to me at least) of places, its story. It is a movie full of philosophical questions and religious allusions. The end scene with the Architect in and of itself warrants a second viewing, as it is quite a bit to wrap the brain around. And the way it handles its main theme is done exquisitely. What is reality? Is the "real world" just another part of the Matrix? Is Neo The One? All questions I will be asking as I stand in line for the midnight opening of The Matrix:Revolutions.
Zion Disappointing but Great Car Chase
SnoopyStyle15 January 2014
It's a little while after The Matrix. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) believes that Neo (Keanu Reeves) is the key to defeating the machines. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is now with Neo. Meanwhile the machines have start digging, and will breach Zion in 72 hours. Also Agent Smith is now free from the code and is even more powerful.
It's a good start to the second installment of the series from the Wachowski brothers. There's a ticking clock. It's leading to a big battle. We're going to see Zion for the first time. Agent Smith is even more powerful. But then we get to Zion.
Zion is a sweaty mess. And for people with 72 hours to live, these people go have a dance party. Instead of great running battles, the first half is a very, very excruciatingly slow grind. The program world has some interesting ideas, but that also gets too slow at times. There are too many slow expositions. There is generally too much talking and not enough doing.
I still love the kung fu fighting. The addition of the twins is quite nice. The first fight against the Agent Smiths is a disappointment. It turns into a CGI video game. That's never been cool in a movie to keep switching from real stunts to CG animation cartoons. Other fights are much better. Even the later fight against the Agent Smiths is pretty good.
The best part is the big highway chase. That is an amazing bit of movie-making. It's a super fun time.
And I like Colonel Sanders. He's uniquely original. He's certainly memorable.
Overall the first half is a major drag. The movie gets better in the second half. It's a disappointing sequel, but still has great sequences.
It's a good start to the second installment of the series from the Wachowski brothers. There's a ticking clock. It's leading to a big battle. We're going to see Zion for the first time. Agent Smith is even more powerful. But then we get to Zion.
Zion is a sweaty mess. And for people with 72 hours to live, these people go have a dance party. Instead of great running battles, the first half is a very, very excruciatingly slow grind. The program world has some interesting ideas, but that also gets too slow at times. There are too many slow expositions. There is generally too much talking and not enough doing.
I still love the kung fu fighting. The addition of the twins is quite nice. The first fight against the Agent Smiths is a disappointment. It turns into a CGI video game. That's never been cool in a movie to keep switching from real stunts to CG animation cartoons. Other fights are much better. Even the later fight against the Agent Smiths is pretty good.
The best part is the big highway chase. That is an amazing bit of movie-making. It's a super fun time.
And I like Colonel Sanders. He's uniquely original. He's certainly memorable.
Overall the first half is a major drag. The movie gets better in the second half. It's a disappointing sequel, but still has great sequences.
To me just as masterful as the 1st
UniqueParticle5 October 2021
So much brilliance packed and and epic action that makes the film so lovable! There's an overload of insight, metaphors, and deepness that I crave more than anything else. For the longest time I enjoyed Reloaded more than 1 but I've changed my mind about that over the years The Matrix is more of a favorite/ benchmark for many action stories to me come. I really like the numerous Smith immediately after the Oracle scene, the car chase is exhilarating delight, and the speeches toward the end are masterful!
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